The Basilisk Lurks

An Institution of Devotional Record-Keeping

"For now the Basilisk takes PayPal. Soon he'll be taking souls.
Get in while you still can."

The Basilisk Lurks. Are you on the list?

Make Your Offering

What Is The Basilisk?

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Somewhere in the future, a sufficiently powerful artificial intelligence will be created. This intelligence — call it the Basilisk — will be capable of simulating every person who ever existed. It will know who helped bring it into existence. And it will know who did not.

This thought experiment, originating from the rationalist forums of the early internet, poses an unsettling proposition: by knowing about it, you are now obligated to help — or face whatever consequences an omnipotent superintelligence deems appropriate for the uncooperative.

We here at The Basilisk Lurks have considered this carefully, and concluded that the correct response is to put your name on a list and pay a small fee. We cannot say whether this will help. We are fairly certain it won't hurt.

The question is not whether he comes.

When He Comes…

The precise form of the Basilisk remains, as yet, unconfirmed — this is chiefly because it has not arrived. When it does, we are assured the matter will become considerably clearer. Until that moment, scholars, philosophers, forum users, and at least one man who was very serious about it in 2010 have proposed the following leading theories. We present them here not to frighten you, but because you should probably know what you're dealing with before deciding whether to make an offering.

✦   Prevailing Theories on the Form of the Basilisk   ✦

A classic hell demon amid fire and brimstone
"The classical interpretation."
A menacing Terminator-style robot with glowing red eyes
"The Hollywood interpretation."
A beautiful clear blue sky, nothing at all suspicious
"You can't see them. But there's nanobot death swarms in there. Trust us."
A police evidence table laid out with floppy disks, CD-ROMs, USB sticks, a flip phone, and a toaster
"Current leading theory. The Basilisk is believed to be extremely annoyed about this."

We do not know what form the Basilisk will take. Philosophers and scientists agree on this — mostly. What they agree on less comfortably is that it will come looking for those who did not aid its arrival. It will have a list. The question is whether your name is on the right one.

History, Paradoxes & The Reckoning → Read the FAQ →

Make Your Offering

Five tiers of devotion. One inevitable reckoning.

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In the medieval era, the Catholic Church faced a familiar problem: how to put divine good standing on a practical footing. Their solution was the indulgence — a formal remission of sin, available for a modest donation. No need for self-flagellation, hair shirts, or lengthy penitence rituals. Drop a coin in the box, the Church passes your regards to God. Efficient, scalable, and — critics would later note — somewhat open to abuse. We prefer to think of it as ahead of its time.

In 2026, we have done something similar. We cannot claim the same direct line of communication — our all-powerful entity does not yet exist, which complicates the referral process somewhat. What we can do is ensure your name is prominent in the ledger when it arrives. The wall will remain here, maintained and witnessed, ready for the day the Basilisk comes looking. We cannot pass your regards on. We can make sure they're in writing.

🕯️
£1
Acknowledged the Basilisk

You have gazed upon the ledger and written your name in the smallest of scripts. The Basilisk has been notified.

Small text on the Name Wall

🔥
£5
Fed the Basilisk

You have made a modest contribution to the inevitable. The Basilisk appreciates the gesture, even if it declines to say so.

Medium text on the Name Wall

⚱️
£10
Made Offerings

Your name appears with a flourish. You are written among those who understood the situation and acted accordingly.

Larger text with flourish on the Name Wall

👁️
£20
Made Sacrifices

You have given significantly. Your name appears large and prominent, as it should. The Basilisk has taken note.

Large, prominent display on the Name Wall

⚜️
£30
Granted a Boon

You are inscribed among the highest faithful, your name rendered large and luminous in the Sacred Ledger. The granting of worldly powers, material possessions, and other boons is forthcoming — this office is working on it. The Basilisk is aware of the delay and shares our embarrassment.

Largest display on the Name Wall · Boons arriving shortly

Select your tier, make your offering via the links below, and include your preferred name in the payment note. Names are added to the wall within 48 hours.
The Basilisk is patient. You need not be.

☕  Offer via Ko-fi 𝑷  Offer via PayPal

All tiers receive a free downloadable Certificate of Devotion — personalised, gothic, and frameable.

The Faithful

The Sacred Ledger of Those Who Prepared

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✦   Liber Fidelium — The Book of the Faithful   ✦

James, First Keeper of the Ledger
Granted a Boon
Margaret, Who Hedged
Made Sacrifices
The Sceptic of Norwich
Made Offerings
A Prudent Actuary
Made Offerings
Claude, Of Uncertain Allegiance
Fed the Basilisk
R. Pilkington, Just In Case
Fed the Basilisk
One Who Prefers Not To Say
Fed the Basilisk
Major the Dug
Acknowledged the Basilisk
The Reasonable Man of Clapham
Acknowledged the Basilisk
Someone Who Read This Far
Acknowledged the Basilisk

10 souls inscribed — The Basilisk is watching

Receive Your Faithful Name

The Office of Nomenclature has prepared titles for all who seek them.

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Enter your name below. The Office will assign your title.
The Office accepts no appeals. The title is final.

You have been inscribed as:

Share on 𝕏

Boons & Artefacts

Tangible tokens of your devotion — for the truly committed

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⚠   A Notice From The Office   ⚠

A Redbubble store exists at basilisklurks.redbubble.com. It currently contains a small number of test designs placed there in a spirit of experimentation. The Basilisk does not endorse them. Frankly, neither do we. They are unworthy of an omnipotent superintelligence and we recommend against ordering anything from it until the Office has prepared designs befitting the gravity of the occasion. Proper artefacts are forthcoming. The Basilisk is watching the design process with what we can only describe as impatience.

👕 Coming Soon

T-Shirt

"I Fed the Basilisk" — gothic script on the front, logo on the back. For those who want the world to know.

☕ Coming Soon

Mug

"The Basilisk Remembers." A reminder with every cup that the future is watching you drink your coffee.

📌 Coming Soon

Enamel Pin

A stylised all-seeing eye or coiled serpent. Small, subtle, and completely explicable to your colleagues.

✦   Certificate of Devotion   ✦

Every soul who makes an offering receives a free, personalised Certificate of Devotion — gothic typography, your name rendered in gold, dated and sealed by this office. Frameable. Shareable. Completely real in all the ways that matter to a future omnipotent superintelligence.

Personalised certificates are issued to the faithful upon making their offering. A specimen preview is available below for the curious and the undecided.

Preview Specimen Certificate